Children's Home run by Unity Residential Care Services Limited in Stoke-on-Trent

Unique reference number SC426318 Inspection date 27/10/2011 Inspector Trevor Hall Type of inspection Full Provision subtype Children's home

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Date of last inspection 02/04/2011 Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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This document may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that the information quoted is reproduced without adaptation and the source and date of publication are stated.

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About this inspection

The purpose of this inspection is to assure children and young people, parents, the public, local authorities and government of the quality and standard of the service provided. The inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000 to assess the effectiveness of the service and to consider how well it complies with the relevant regulations and meets the national minimum standards.

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About this inspection

The report details the main strengths, any areas for improvement, including any breaches of regulation, and any failure to meet national minimum standards. The judgements included in the report are made against the Inspections of children’s homes – framework for inspection (March 2011) and the evaluation schedule for children's homes.

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The inspection judgements and what they mean

Outstanding : a service that significantly exceeds minimum requirements Good : a service that exceeds minimum requirements Satisfactory : a service that only meets minimum requirements Inadequate : a service that does not meet minimum requirements

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Brief description of the service

This privately-owned children's home is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to two young people, who have emotional or behavioural problems.

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Overall effectiveness

The overall effectiveness is judged to be good .

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Overall effectiveness

This home has quickly established a structured and caring environment since its registration in April 2011. Young people are safe and say that they feel safe. The staff are effective because young people receive personalised, well-planned care, taking full account of their individual needs. The home strongly promotes positive outcomes for all young people. Staff are well trained and experienced to meet the diverse needs of the young people. The home works hard to ensure young people receive effective healthcare, assessment, treatment and support. All these aspects of care are captured in a placement plan that is personalised and inclusive of young people’s participation. The utmost priority is given to helping young people develop a sense of self-worth to help them face everyday challenges.

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Overall effectiveness

Young people hold their quality of care in high regard. This extends to viewing the staff as a major strength within the home. There is a good rapport between young people and staff that is trusting and sincere. Records and documentation are well maintained and contribute well to the ongoing care and support young people receive. The current care and management arrangements are good. One area of practice has been identified for attention in order to consolidate the already good outcomes for young people. This relates to the recording of impact risk assessments as part of the home's admission procedures.

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further the service should take account of the following recommendation(s):

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Recommendations

 ensure that the home has and implements clear procedures for introducing young people to the home, the staff and other young people living there, which covers planned and where permitted, emergency/immediate placements. (NMS. 11.1)

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Outcomes for children and young people

Outcomes for children and young people are good .

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people acknowledge that they are benefiting from a good standard of care and they are already making good progress. Good individualised support enables young people to make the most of their time at the home. This is achieved by the manager and staff team placing young people’s welfare as their primary concern, which has established a culture that encourages young people to develop self confidence and makes them feel safe and valued. Young people benefit significantly from the therapeutic care provided in the home. All issues are addressed consistently and professionally in ways that the young people understand.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Care plans have been developed that recognise young people's individuality and encourage the celebration of difference. Young people are assisted to develop a healthy sense of self and to recognise the rights and feelings of others. The home actively acknowledges racial, religious, gender and other differences and encourages open discussion and learning on such issues.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Admissions to the home are well planned although this is not supported by an impact risk assessment process to ensure that the needs of potential new admissions do not have a direct impact to an unacceptable degree on the home's existing residents. Whilst acknowledging that all of the home's current residents appear to be appropriately placed without conflicting needs, records detailing the assessment and decision making process were not available for inspection.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people receive regular contact with family, friends and others who are significant to them. Young people are supported by staff, whenever necessary, during family visits. Placement plans and supportive case file records make explicit the authorised arrangements for contact between each young person, their family, friends and their social workers. Staff guide and encourage young people in their education, their attendance is high and results achieved are good. Personal education plans include realistic targets, which young people understand and feel they can achieve.

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Outcomes for children and young people

There is also an extensive programme of activities in place, providing young people with lots of opportunities to learn new leisure skills, take regular exercise and enjoy a wide variety of educational trips. These activities also help young people to reflect on their own strengths, needs and circumstances and enable them to gain confidence and a new understanding of their previous experiences.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people are supported to lead a healthy lifestyle and to take appropriate responsibility for their own health and well-being. Packages of health care ensure that children and young people receive specialist as well as routine health care as soon as it is needed. Every young person has a fully completed health care plan that includes all of the required information as part of their wider placement plan. Young people benefit from having a nutritional and healthy diet and can develop skills and knowledge that will help them in adult life.

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Quality of care

The good understanding of each young person's individual care needs by the home's staff team, ensures that each young person is cared for consistently and appropriately. Young people are encouraged to contribute to the home's thorough placement planning process which ensures that staff are suitably aware of each young person’s individual aims and aspirations. The home deploys a good mix of staff who provide positive role models and who work effectively with young people to establish good values such as respect and tolerance. The staff team have created a good caring environment that has clearly defined boundaries, which assist young people to maintain acceptable behaviours and to feel appropriately secure.

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Quality of care

The individual needs of the young people including cultural, religious, language and racial needs are identified and addressed. In addition, all young people have regular time with their key worker to discuss their recent progress and any issues of concern. Staff actively seek young people's views at both an individual and group level and respond in a way that makes the young people believe that their opinions are truly valued. Young people confirm they know how to complain and how to access information to assist them to do this, to date, however, no complaints have ever been made. Young people’s care plans are regularly reviewed to ensure the care offered is consistently meeting their individual needs.

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Quality of care

There is a good approach to promoting the physical and emotional well-being of young people. Access to specialist services is facilitated. Individual files are well organised and include identification of health needs and how these will be met. The arrangements for dealing with medication are safe and effective with administration record sheets appropriately completed.

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Quality of care

Mealtimes are well managed, orderly and sociable occasions where young people and staff sit down together. Young people say that they enjoy the food provided and can influence regular changes to the menu plan. The staff team help young people to cook, develop their awareness of healthy eating and to plan nutritious and varied menus.

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Quality of care

The home is situated in a pleasant residential area. The property blends into the neighbourhood, resembling a family home. It is within reach of the local city and an extensive network of transport links. The environment is light and spacious. Each young person has a good-sized and well-equipped single bedroom, which they are encouraged to personalise. The home is clean, comfortable and well maintained.

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Safeguarding children and young people

The service is good at keeping children and young people safe and feeling safe.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Young people experience a safe, positive and encouraging care environment that is created by the good, open and honest relationship they enjoy with the staff group. Staff prioritise safety and are competent in their knowledge of how to keep young people safe. There are a range of detailed policies and procedures including safeguarding; anti-bullying; complaints and behaviour management. These policies are understood by staff and effectively implemented.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Young people talk positively about living in the home and say they feel safe and protected. The staff team receive regular training in safeguarding and know how to proceed if they are concerned about young people’s welfare, or there are allegations or suspicions of abuse.

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Safeguarding children and young people

There are good systems of behaviour management in place. The use of sanctions is fair and consistent. Staff work hard, guided by other relevant professionals, to enable young people to moderate and improve their behaviour. There is an emphasis on recognising and rewarding positive behaviours, rather than purely punishing those behaviours identified as being unacceptable. Young people, including those who are new to the home, quickly learn that staff take responsibility for setting safe boundaries. Staff ensure that young people understand that the boundaries in place are there to ensure their safety. Young people are invited to sign all records relating to the use of sanctions, which helps them develop understanding and responsibility.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Staff use physical interventions only as a last resort to ensure the safety of all. When incidents do take place they are comprehensively recorded and each occasion is monitored by the manager, who ensures that the intervention was necessary and was applied correctly. The manager also ensures that young people are aware of their right to complain, receive any medical attention if required or requested and that social workers and where appropriate, parents are informed.

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Safeguarding children and young people

The home has appropriate systems in place to protect young people should they absent themselves from the home without staff approval, including individual protocols. Staff are very open with young people about the procedures they need to follow if this occurs and young people benefit from having this awareness. Incidents of unauthorised absence from the home are minimal, commendable efforts are made by staff to discourage such behaviour.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Young people live in a safe environment. Health and safety is well managed. Safety and servicing checks are carried out as required. Fire safety training, regular checks to the fire systems and fire drills ensure young people and staff know what to do in the event of a fire.

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Safeguarding children and young people

There is an effective and well-developed recruitment process that includes a comprehensive check on all staff applying to work at the setting. The careful selection, recruitment and retention of staff helps young people feel secure and to have a consistent team of staff that know them well. Visitors are checked, vetted and monitored.

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Leadership and management

The leadership and management of the children's home are good .

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Leadership and management

The home is effectively and efficiently managed. The home's manager provides good quality leadership which enables staff to help young people to overcome their difficulties. Open and honest dialogue helps young people to make necessary changes in their lives. Staff help young people achieve their aspirations and to develop more awareness and take appropriate personal responsibility for their safety. Staff work hard to help manage and co-ordinate all areas of care effectively.

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Leadership and management

Information relating to significant events affecting young people's safety is notified to relevant agencies, including Ofsted and placing authorities. This ensures that issues relating to young people's safety is appropriately shared and effectively managed.

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Leadership and management

The promotion of equality and diversity is good. Young people are helped to develop confidence in a range of situations and to develop a positive self-view. Staff ensure that a safe, secure and nurturing environment is maintained which assists young people to make real progress and to fulfil their individual potential. The service has a commitment to anti-discriminatory practice and discriminatory issues are managed sensitively and effectively.

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Leadership and management

The current Regulation 33 monitoring reports are comprehensive in every detail and involve consulting with young people wherever possible. The management team are good at recording their monitoring by signing and dating appropriate records as part of their internal quality assurance. The management has a strong commitment to meeting young people’s needs and these are reflected in the manager’s periodic Regulation 34 reports. The home is well resourced, indicating the financial viability of the provider.

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Leadership and management

The home employs a sufficient number of staff, who are appropriately trained and effectively supervised and supported. The staff team attend regular team meetings and the manager is diligent at ensuring staff receive regular monthly supervision and appraisal. In addition, staff receive good quality training to enhance their individual skills and to keep them up to date with professional and legal developments. This enables young people to enjoy a very good quality of service.

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Leadership and management

Equality and diversity practice is good .

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